


Drop

by SarahEverton



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst, Blood and Injury, Dark, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Psychological Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 10:02:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28349586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SarahEverton/pseuds/SarahEverton
Summary: Once, during a training bootcamp, Alex Danvers had been put below a plastic javelin, suspended from the ceiling.Her instructor had only muttered two words before slamming the door shut behind her.Catch it.---Alex is forced to make hard choices when Maggie's life is on the line.
Relationships: Alex Danvers/Maggie Sawyer
Comments: 11
Kudos: 67





	1. Chapter 1

Once, during a training bootcamp, Alex Danvers had been put below a plastic javelin, suspended from the ceiling. Her instructor had only muttered two words before slamming the door shut behind her.

_Catch it._

At first, she'd been underneath it, her hands tingling with anticipation, as she waited for the spear to drop.

The first few minutes, her reflexes were on high alert. Her heart thumping loudly in her chest, as adrenalin coursed through her veins.

But as the time passed, she found her gaze wandering down to the clock on the other side of the room – ticking the seconds down. Her heartbeat stabilized – unable to keep up the focus she'd displayed.

In the end, the javelin did drop.

Two and a half hours after her instructor had first locked her in.

She ended up catching it on a lucky break – just turning her head back from glaring at the clock as she saw it break free. She had to leap towards the ground for it – but she managed to hold on to it before the tip hit the hardwood floor.

In the end, the lesson taught wasn't one of reflexes.

It was that she had to be ready for anything, anytime.

In the field, she'd kept that laser focus anytime the situation required it. Her genius, analytical mind made it easy to assess threats. And really – every new situation was just another javelin waiting to drop.

Truthfully, though, it was only a matter of time until shelet one clatter to the floor.

But if Alex Danvers could have chosen the situation – it would have been anything but what ensued.

* * *

"Not to sound impatient but _I'm_ not the one who gets to use the siren."

Maggie mumbled something under her breath as she slammed her car door shut and walked up to her fiancée, locking her cruiser in the process.

Alex noticed immediately that her cheery jab might not have settled in right. She frowned, and took a few steps in Maggie's direction. "What's wrong?"

The detective sighed, and started walking – making Alex trail behind her. " _Nothing_."

Alex winced in sympathy, as the two of them walked towards the restaurant they'd had a reservation at.

Then, she carefully took hold of Maggie's hand – making her stop.

Alex looked into her eyes. "You want to talk about it?"

For a second, it looked like she might shut Alex out again. Then, she grunted, and folded her arms. "You remember how I told you about Beekman?"

"The inspector guy?" Alex contributed, stopping in front of the restaurant's doors to let Maggie finish her story first.

"Yeah – he was at my fucking desk _again_ this afternoon – whining about how he needed to see my paperwork from the last three cases I worked. Guy hasn't ever seen a woman up close, let alone an alien."

Alex smirked – but it faded quickly as Maggie continued.

"Ends up nailing me for _apparently_ misfiling a report on that Alazonian homicide from a few weeks ago. I told him three times that it wasn't misfiled, he was just mixing up the reports – wouldn't _fucking_ listen."

"So… what now?"

Maggie huffed. "He went over my boss' head, and complained to the deputy commissioner – apparently gushing all about my 'previous mistakes' and 'precedents as a liability for the force'."

Alex froze in her tracks, her stomach churning. She dreaded the next sentence to come out of Maggie's mouth.

"He was going to suspend me until further notice – he already had the paperwork filed and everything. Thankfully – the DC knows my captain, so he gave him a heads up first. And he was _pissed_. Pulled in a favor with the Chief of Police to get Beekman to stand down."

"And…?"

"And…Beekman has had it out for the SciDiv ever since we split off from homicide. Guy wants to pretend aliens don't exist, so he sees no need for taxpayer money to go towards us. The sooner he can get rid of all of us, the better."

Alex shook her head, trying to contain her anger. The DEO had a lot of liberties – even if there still was a lot of red tape. But conventional policework would _never_ be something she was interested in. How Maggie got through a single day with the amount of paperwork and explaining she had to do for every little thing she did…

"I'm sorry." She said – and she meant it.

Maggie shrugged. "Nothing I c—"

Alex glanced up to meet her eyes when Maggie had cut herself off, but found her staring at the other side of the street.

"What is it?"

The detective ignored her for now, taking a few steps closer to the curb and reaching for her hip in pure muscle memory – before forgetting that she'd taken off her holster to meet Alex for their date night.

Said agent did have a gun on her, albeit concealed in her jacket. When she scanned the other side of the street, she now saw what Maggie had seen seconds earlier.

A shady man had just pulled up in a black van with tinted windows, and had disappeared into an alley.

Carrying what looked like a body.

"The hell…?" Alex whispered.

Both of them crossed the street, as Maggie linked her arm with Alex's, and gave her hand two squeezes.

_Act normal._

They only had one gun between the two of them. They had to be smart.

The two walked past the alley, glancing into it casually.

Alex stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of the unmoving man, lying in the middle of the alley – illuminated by a flickering safety light above.

" _Shit_ …" she heard Maggie curse. The man that had carried him was nowhere to be seen. The alley was dead silent.

Maggie squeezed once. _It could be a trap._

Alex squeezed back. _But what if it's not?_

Squeeze. _It wouldn't be the first time._

Alex let go of Maggie's hand, and motioned for her to stay back and call for backup. Maggie fished her phone out of her pocket as Alex pulled her gun out of her jacket and moved up into the alley.

"Detective Sawyer, NC SciDiv badge 2-7-0. We have found a man lying in an alley off Hawthorne – checking vitals now. Caucasian, looks mid-20s, blonde, broad build."

Alex was close enough to reach the man and – still scanning the alley with her eyes – put two fingers to the man's carotid artery. He was lying face down on the ground, unmoving, but there was no blood – and no visible injuries, at first glance.

The agent glanced back to Maggie, shaking her head.

The detective continued her chatter upon the signal. "… no pulse, starting CPR. Get a bus here ASAP. We saw one unsub carrying him into the alleyway, about 6'5, no id—"

Alex, who had been attempting to turn the man over to begin chest compressions, looked back at the sound of a dull _thud, and_ Maggie's relay of the events being cut off.

Her stomach churned at the sight of her fiancée lying on the ground on her side – her ring finger twitching slightly as blood dribbled out of her hair, already beginning to form a small puddle underneath her.

A man stood towering over her, holding what looked like a tire iron before throwing it aside carelessly – the clattering reverberating through Alex' skull.

_The javelin._

_It dropped._

…

_She'd missed it._

Alex let out an inhuman whine as she leapt forward, raising the gun and using the last _iota_ of restraint she had not to unload the clip into the man's torso.

"HANDS WHERE I CAN SEE THEM!" She yelled. The man glanced up at her – but she now saw that his face was covered with a balaclava.

He tilted his head, almost seeming curious. Then, he let out a breathy chuckle.

"Nothing personal, Agent Danvers. Just business."

Alex felt her blood boil. She willed herself not to look at Maggie at the man's feet, instead focusing her steely gaze on his eyes. In the dark, she couldn't make them out – but it didn't matter.

"What do you want?!" She spat.

"My employer wishes to meet with you." The man spoke. "They don't like to be kept waiting – so I suggest you comply."

Alex chuckled dryly. "After what you did to her – you just expect me to come quietly?!"

"Oh believe me, Agent." He glanced down at the woman below him. "I can assure you, if you _don't_ intend to come quietly, we have received _very_ specific instructions to force you."

Alex swallowed thickly – finally willing herself to glance down at her fiancée, lying unmoving in the dirt. The pool of blood continued to grow, and it made Alex sick to her stomach.

Those hits could smash skulls and kill instantly. For all she knew, Maggie could have been dead for the past few minutes – while she was standing around doing nothing.

The nausea turned to sheer hatred for the man standing above her.

She had a clean shot at his T-box. She could drop him with one bullet and get Maggie to-

Suddenly, Alex felt the sharp prick of a knife pointing at her lower back. And she realized she was running out of options fast.

_Another drop._

_Another spear clattering to the ground._

" _Tick tock_." A man's voice whispered in her ear.

Alex took a shaky breath. "Alright – _alright_. Tell me what I need to do."

"You're going to give your gun to the gentleman behind you. You're going to carry Detective Sawyer into the back of the black van parked on the road, and you're going to get into the passenger seat. And if you attempt to deviate from any of those instructions – believe me, she will pay for it."

The one thing Alex was aware of, was that Maggie had called for backup – that should be arriving any second – hopefully spurred on by the fact that the detective had stopped responding.

She had to stall as much as possible.

"Can I at least check if she's okay first?" Alex asked, trying to keep her voice from trembling. "If you've killed her, you might as well shoot me now."

"Very noble of you, Agent. But I can assure you she's still breathing."

"I want to check for myself."

"You're hardly in a position to drive a bargain." The man shook his head.

" _Please_." Alex whispered, layering her performance to appear much more distraught than she was. "Please – I need to know if she's okay."

The man sighed. "According to my sources, you're usually a little tougher to crack." He fished a gun from his pocket, and aimed it at Maggie's head.

"No – _please_. Okay – alright, aright." Alex took a deep breath. "I'll do it, okay? There's no need for any more violence. I'll come with you."

"Excellent decision."

Alex lowered her gun, and handed it off to the man behind her – which she now recognized as the 'body' she'd been checking.

Either she'd misjudged his pulse terribly – or there was some sort of trickery in play.

Or he was an alien.

He shoved Alex forward – she stumbled in the direction of Maggie and the man.

She carefully crouched down next to the unconscious detective, and put a hand on her forehead. Thankfully – as pale as she looked, Maggie was still warm. But a quick pull back of her eyelids made it clear that her pupils were unevenly dilated – which was a bad sign.

"Move it along." The man said.

Alex glanced up at him, and shook her head. "I can't move her like this."

"Why not?"

"Her head and neck need to be stabilized. I need an extra pair of hands."

He rolled his eyes ostentatiously, but Alex was having none of it. Feeling around on the back of her head, she winced as she felt the cut that the tire iron had left on Maggie's skull. Within seconds, her hands were caked with blood.

"If you were really as professional as you're claiming to be, you would have sedated her instead of mowing her down like a _fucking_ caveman." Alex hissed through her teeth. "If you want me to come with you, you'll have to help me move her _carefully_."

The man sighed. "Alright. You know what? You make a good point. My associate here will help you."

Alex didn't spare either of the men a second look. "You're going to grab her legs and hold them up. I'll stabilize her neck – but we gotta go on my signal, okay?"

In the distance – sirens approached.

Alex tried not to show too much relief. She carefully wrapped her hands around Maggie's neck, as the man grabbed her feet.

The sirens were too far out – and then men didn't seem at all worried about them.

"3…2… wait." Alex said, readjusting her grip.

It wasn't until she felt the barrel of a gun pressed to the back of her skull, that she realized her bluffing was done.

"One more chance, Agent Danvers. I'm done playing games."

Alex swallowed thickly.

_The javelin wobbled._

_Was it going to fall – or was she imagining it?_

_It had been so long._

_She was starting to go crazy._

She couldn't risk it.

The van doors slammed shut behind them.

The man who'd hit Maggie took the wheel.

The other man stayed in the back with Maggie – Alex couldn't see anything.

She could only watch as they drove past the horde of police cruisers, finally on their way.


	2. Chapter 2

Alex knew damn well that the secondary location meant trouble.

Thankfully, she also knew that the DEO possessed tech that would make it easy to find them. While the man next to her might have wanted to convey intelligence and suave, it was clear that he _wasn't_ the enforcer he was portraying.

He was a semi-pro, at best. Which made the reason for the meeting with his so called 'employer' all the more strange.

She'd been in this situation before. Many times, actually. Both simulated and real. When J'onn had promoted her to assistant director, she'd gone through a rigorous training. She'd been beat up, tortured – both mentally and physically – and they'd used the people she loved against her many times. Because there was a high possibility that, now that she was one of the leaders of the DEO, they would attempt to get to her through loved ones.

It was a situation that never got easier. And having to face Maggie when she finally returned from her two-week training at the deserted exoplanet, and start explaining what it was she had endured, was one of the hardest things she'd ever done.

Torture was nothing new for her.

So, as she sat in the passenger seat, looking around at the streets of National City passing by, she analyzed the situation.

She had her subdermal tracker, and it had recently been updated. Maggie had placed the 911 call, been cut off abruptly, and neither the body nor her were there, at the scene. But there _was_ a tire iron that had Maggie's blood on it.

And Alex had told Kara that Maggie and her were going to the restaurant on Hawthorne at seven.

All pieces put together, Alex almost huffed at how much of a hassle this was – she knew this wouldn't be more than lowlife thugs attempting to get a rise out of her. And she also knew that if she didn't manage to escape in some way, the rescue would be hours away, if that.

Of course, there were parameters that she couldn't answer for. Who the employer was. How many goons would be at the secondary. Whether they were alien or human. In what kind of shape Maggie would be.

The drive took at least 30 minutes. Alex knew he was intentionally driving around in circles to confuse her. But she didn't understand why – it would only delay and give law enforcement more time to track them down.

"Do you know where you're going?" She finally asked, when it was clear he'd taken the same roundabout three times. She attempted to sound neutral – no sarcasm. She wasn't about to risk Maggie's health any more than she already had.

"If I didn't know what I was doing, you'd be dead."

Alex sighed, attempting to glance over her shoulder. But the van's back was completely separated from the cabin in front.

The images racing through her head of what that man could do to Maggie when she was unconscious…

She shook her head – physically willing the visuals away. Instead, she tried to get more out of him.

"What's your name?"

"My name is not important to you."

"I'm just making conversation – looks like we'll be stuck here a while."

"I know what you're doing, Agent. You're negotiating. You want to stall to buy time, get me to lower my guard to then overpower me and drive this van off the road."

She feigned ignorance. "Why the hell would I want to risk crashing with her in the back?!"

The man rolled his eyes, and reached for a button on the dashboard. Alex had recognized it as an external piece of hardware – not linked to the car's mechanics in any way. When he pressed it, she heard a vague _buzzing_ behind her.

A sound cue? A signal?

Alex's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a struggle in the back. Scraping, thuds, grunts…

The man next to her didn't seem to pay attention to it, tapping his fingers to the beat of whatever stupid song was on the radio.

Alex didn't know what was happening, but she had a pretty good idea of what the button meant. She knew she couldn't try any of the overt tactics she'd attempted before.

She had to pull another rabbit out of her hat.

"If I may give you some advice…" The man said, interrupting her thoughts. Alex glanced up at him – he took his eyes off the road for two seconds to give her what she felt was a sincere look.

"No matter what is said – understand that we are not the enemy."

Alex opened her mouth to retort with the bloody tire iron, but restrained herself.

The man continued. "My employer wanted _both_ of you. Do you understand what that means?"

Alex's heart dropped. Usually, enforcers talked as little as possible, and definitely didn't give their hostages advice. Either the man was a complete fraud, he genuinely didn't agree with the job…

… or he was just _pretending_ to make rookie mistakes, to throw her off.

And – by default – whoever was investigating what happened.

_Fuck._

_A big drop._

She didn't have to respond – she knew damn well what he was saying.

The rest of the car ride was spent in silence – apart from the occasional sound coming from the back. After a few more minutes of what felt like aimless driving, he finally pulled up to an apartment block, and drove into the underground parking.

Nothing about the past events had been run-of-the-mill kidnapping, as stupid as it sounded.

She hoped Kara would get here soon. It had been 30 minutes since the officers should have arrived at the scene.

_Did Winn still have the alert to notify him whenever their names popped up in 911-calls?_

The man stopped the car in a spot, and pulled on the parking brake. Then, he looked at her. "Don't get out just yet."

Alex heard the back doors open, and another scuffle. She glanced into the side mirror to see the 'dead' man, and what looked like a third enforcer, pulling Maggie out of the back.

She was conscious, and appeared irate – kicking and punching around to try and get away. Very likely panicking at waking up in the back of a van covered in blood, and not thinking straight because of the head injury.

Alex took a shaky breath, willing Maggie to stay calm and just let it happen. But she knew damn well why he wanted her to stay in the car.

Maggie couldn't know that Alex was there. At least – not yet.

Probably either to make the confrontation _that_ much more powerful – or because they didn't want Maggie to know about _why_ she was being tortured.

Because if she knew that Alex was on the other side, and had to give up precious information – she'd put on a brave face and take it.

And if Alex wasn't there…

"We're going for a walk." The man said, motioning her out of the van. She obliged. Her options were limited – and overpowering the man with hand-to-hand combat wouldn't help her case.

She had to lie in wait.

The man put a hand on her back and guided her towards a concrete stairwell. But instead of heading up into the apartment complex, they took the stairs down to the floor below.

Through a maze of musty corridors with leaking pipes. Alex had to duck her head more than once to navigate it – all the while painfully aware of the man's touch between her shoulder blades.

After what felt like ages, they finally stopped in front of a door with a keypad.

"Look away." He ordered. She did as he asked, but listened intently.

Five distinct button presses, and a click.

As the door opened, she glanced down at the keypad again – there was only a numeric pad – no lock or pound. So it had been a 5-digit code.

He shoved her inside, closed the door behind them, and walked her through the now pitch black room.

She couldn't see a thing, but stopped as the man pushed her shoulder down. She felt hard and cold metal behind her, and realized it was some sort of thick pole. She crouched down, and he reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of handcuffs. He pulled her arms backwards until they wrapped around the pole – and clicked the handcuffs in place.

It was uncomfortable, to say the least. But Alex didn't give as much as a wince.

When he was done – she suddenly felt two pats on her cheek. Almost as if to say 'well done'. She couldn't resist the indignant huff through her nose at the gesture – but he seemed to ignore it.

As he walked back towards the door, she heard five buttons again. As the door opened, the room was bathed in the light from the hallway for just a second. Alex took the little time she had to look around.

The room was small – almost like a storage unit. Probably rentable basement space for the apartments upstairs. The pole was in the center of the room. No windows, the only door being the one he was standing in front of.

And – more importantly – she was alone.

The man gave her a smirk, before closing the door behind him – leaving her in darkness.

Alex took a deep breath, and tried to think about her new situation. The floor she was on wasn't hidden. The walls looked like concrete – nothing her sister's X-ray vision couldn't handle.

None of this made sense.

These men should know damn well that they were making mistakes.

_Which terrified her more than anything._

There was no blinking light – no cameras to monitor her.

The only way out was through the numerical pad at the door.

If she ever got out of the handcuffs.

She could tell instantly that it wasn't low quality gear. The chain felt heavy against her hands. The DEO used titanium equipment because of its durability and strength – and it looked like these guys took a page out of their book.

Alex tried to pull the cuffs against the pole to get the chain to break – but the angle was awkward, and she couldn't get the momentum going properly without injuring her shoulders.

The chain didn't budge.

She felt a headache coming on.

She got to her feet, realizing that she didn't have a lot of room to work with.

_Sure, she had fought aliens five times her size, been shot, stabbed, drowned, burned, and just about anything in-between._

_But it had to be a stupid pole and handcuffs to get her stumped._

Her thoughts went to Maggie. She'd been lightheaded with relief upon seeing that she was conscious and moving. Not dead, comatose or paralyzed.

But she had no idea where Maggie was.

The only thing she was certain of, was that these guys had a plan. And if they had a plan – then they wouldn't kill Maggie yet. They needed some type of leverage, whatever it was.

And every second they didn't come to get her, Maggie would be okay. And it would give the DEO, NCPD or whoever else was looking for them another second to track them down.

So this was good – Alex sighed. _This was good._

She ignored the pain in her shoulders and arms, and tried to recount the steps back from the restaurant, to piece together the enforcers' plan to get them.

Which was jumbled at best. If the two of them hadn't seen the van pull up, if they hadn't seen the man carrying the body into the alley – their entire plan would have fallen apart. It was a bad lure – a gamble, if anything.

Perhaps the third man had been in the back of the van all along – to get a plan B going just in case it didn't work. But there still were too many factors that confused her.

The thing that she forced herself to keep in mind, though – just because they might be low-class thugs, didn't mean they weren't deadly. If anything – the high-class organizations and bosses were less violent and much more elegant in the way they handled things.

A few minutes passed, and Alex's eyes had yet to adapt to the darkness. Which proved her theory that there wasn't a single crack of light in the room unless the door opened. There was a constant hum – almost like an AC unit, buzzing through the room, but it came from outside. Nothing to go off.

There was nothing she could do, but wait.

* * *

She'd lost track of time – it could have been seconds, minutes or hours. In the dark, everything was the same. But as soon as she heard footsteps approach, she was on high alert.

_Back in the room with the hardwood flooring._

_Back underneath the javelin._

_Any second now._

The keys were pressed once again. The door opened.

Alex closed her eyes instinctively – already feeling them fill up with tears at the brightness. But she willed herself to open them – to see as much as she could.

The driver stood in the doorway, followed by the two enforcers that had dragged Maggie out. The shape of a woman walked behind them, but Alex couldn't see her face. She was the only one that wasn't masked.

The woman, along with the driver, walked into the room – while the other two men stayed outside. As soon as they were in – he closed the door.

Leaving them in darkness once again.

"Hello, miss Danvers." The woman spoke in a rough, frayed tone from somewhere to her left. "Or… is it _missus?"_

"Not yet." Alex responded truthfully. She assumed the woman knew the answer to every question she was about to ask anyway – and just wanted to skip ahead to the next part of the meeting.

"Your… _fiancée_ said the same." She said. "But I can imagine you prefer your title, anyway? Assistant Director?"

"What do you want with us?" Alex asked, cutting the conversation short.

"I have a proposition." The woman said, after a brief moment of silence. "You can call me Fletcher. I lead a faction of civilian militias to fight alien-related crime."

Not what Alex was expecting – but the emotion on her face was completely lost in the dark anyway.

Fletcher continued. "… see; the DEO handles big cases. Large-scaled threats. Counters with tanks, rifles and bombs. The NCPD – well, the _science division_ handles the subtler things. Alien drugs, gangs, lone terrorists. But… neither organization bothers picking up the scraps."

Alex swallowed thickly.

"…You are blind to the violence that litters our streets, Agent Danvers. You don't see how these aliens tear apart neighborhoods, families, workplaces… Not all species are violent, no. But the ones that are, get to roam around, free to do whatever they want without consequence."

"That's not true." Alex countered. "We track everyone. It's not only what you see. It's what happens behind the scenes."

"Behind the scenes, Agent?" Fletcher laughed. "See, I think you're putting on a brave face because you don't want to admit that I'm right."

"Even if you were – what's the proposition?" Alex bit the inside of her cheek to remain calm, but her mind was racing.

Fletcher took a few steps – her heels clicking around the room and reverberating. In the dark, Alex almost lost track of her. Until her voice appeared again from somewhere behind her.

"You have met my second-in-command, Atticus?"

"We've met, alright." The driver – _Atticus_ – spoke.

The picture was beginning to get clearer.

"Why the violence? If we're on the same side, why didn't you just arrange a meeting? I would have come." Alex said in one breath – still not clear about why her fiancée had to get knocked out for this to happen. And she still hadn't seen her…

"Because this is information that only pertains to you, and Detective Sawyer."

"What do you _want_?" Alex hissed, beginning to grow impatient.

" _Patience_." The woman whispered it so silently that Alex had nearly missed it. The heels clacked again – until Alex was sure the woman was right in front of her.

"We need resources. We have tried communicating with the DEO and the NCPD, but neither are willing to negotiate. They keep _denying_ the need for a civilian corps – just like you. Your boss didn't even let us through the doors."

As much as she wished she wasn't in this situation – she couldn't help but understand where the woman was coming from. If she were in their shoes, and nobody was listening – she might have done the same.

That didn't mean she sympathized, though.

"So – what? You expect me to break into my armory and steal guns?"

Fletcher sighed. "Not that. We have plenty of guns. Plenty of technology too – you'd be amazed at what you find when you dig through the DEO's trash once in a while."

Alex shook her head – unnoticed.

"…What we need is intelligence. Lists of aliens, species indexes, anything that can help us. We're trying to keep our heads above water, but we're _failing_."

"Do you understand how sensitive some of the relationships between different planets are?!" Alex shot back. "Do you _not_ get that you can't just go around killing aliens whenever you like it?! There are _rules_ put in place, and there are systems in place to enforce those rules!"

Fletcher continued, ignoring Alex's outburst. "My proposition is simple. This meeting stays confidential. Your rescue is on its way, but we're stalling it. Until you give us the answer to the following question."

Alex felt the woman step forward, until she was almost sure they were face to face.

"… are you willing to help us?"

"What if I say no? Are you going to kill the both of us?"

This time, Atticus spoke from her right. "I might have taken some liberties with Detective Sawyer earlier, but that's because we're _old friends_. We wish you no harm."

Fletcher agreed with a hum. "We're desperate, and we only want the best for National City. None of you listened, so we had to go to drastic measures. If you say no – that is your choice. But like you said – we play by a different set of rules, and we won't be stopped. If you let this go, we'll have to get drastic in our enforcement too."

"And if I say yes?"

"You'll be released, and given a way to keep in contact. You'll provide us with intel to keep our enforcing clean and safe, and in return, we stay out of the DEO's way. You won't even know we're there."

Alex sighed. "Can I get a moment to think about it?"

"We figured you might." Atticus said. "No worries. Do you want to know what Maggie said?"

The way her name fell off his tongue made her stomach turn.

"Yes." Was all Alex could say.

"You'll have to ask her yourself." He walked over to the door, and hit it three times.

"I don't have all day, Agent. The people of National City need our help. But do take the time to make a good decision – I know you will."

The woman walked over to the door as well, and it opened. Alex had to clench her eyes shut this time, but knew that the two were out of the room.

A shuffle of feet, and the rough _thud_ of what sounded like somebody falling filled her ears, but as she opened her eyes – the door closed with a _bang_ , and left the room in complete darkness once again.

Alex didn't need to see to know what just happened.

"Maggie…?"

" _Oh, no_ …" Came the mumbled response from the ground. Alex yanked on the handcuffs with a new vigor, but it still didn't budge.

"Hey… hey, Mags, it's me…" She resorted to sliding down until she was in a sitting position, closer to Maggie. Stretching her leg, she found that she could touch what felt like Maggie's ankle.

"Why are you here…" Maggie whispered. It sounded pathetic – like she was close to tears. Alex understood that it was probably shock, but it didn't make her worry any less.

"Babe, can you move?" Alex asked. "Can you get closer to me? Follow my voice…"

After a few seconds, she heard a dragging sound. After that, tentative fingers felt around her, and finally touched her thigh.

" _Alex_ …" Maggie sniffed. "I didn't mean to drag you into this… I'm _so_ sorry…"

Alex frowned. "Mags, what are you talking about? They're… they're just civilians that fight aliens, they want to send a message to the DEO and the NCPD…"

Maggie took a second, breathing hard. Alex had never wished for sight more than in that second. But as Maggie's hands felt around Alex's body, and the detective finally collapsed onto Alex's lap, she responded.

"They're rogue NCPD officers, Alex. And they're going to kill me."


	3. Chapter 3

"W-what do you mean?" Alex whispered – now attempting to get out of the cuffs once more, knowing that Maggie needed her help.

Maggie stayed silent for a few seconds, curling up in Alex's lap.

"I… woke up… in the back of a van – or something." She finally said. "Cullen was there…"

"Cullen?" Alex asked.

"A young guy – blonde. Jamie Cullen. He… worked in my precinct. He's a cybercrime guy."

Alex recognized him as the 'body'. "Is he alien?"

"Hates aliens… got suspended because of it." Maggie sounded breathless, but at least her thoughts were coherent enough to make sense.

"Why does a sacked CCS guy want you _dead_ , Maggie?"

Maggie took a deep breath. "It's _complicated_."

"I figured."

" _Alex_." Maggie gasped. "The guy he's with – his _voice_ …"

Alex wasn't sure whether she meant the third guy or Atticus, but she didn't interject.

"… He's _trouble_. If he is who I think he is…"

"Listen – they're coming for us, okay?" Alex leaned down until she felt her neck protesting – just to get close enough for her cheek to touch the top of Maggie's head. A whisper – just in case anybody was listening.

"My tracker is active – she's on her way to rescue us, alright? Just hold on… Stay calm. Don't make any decisions."

"What did they want with you?" Maggie whispered back, a trembling hand making contact with Alex's chin.

Alex wished she could hold her.

"They want us to help their militia. Civilians that pick fights with aliens. They need intel."

Maggie stayed quiet.

"But… if they're NCPD… why are they pretending to be civilians?" Alex whispered out loud, her brain racing with possibilities.

"Alex." Maggie sighed. "Me and those guys aren't the best of friends."

Alex swallowed thickly. "Tell me what I need to know. Tell me who you think they are."

Maggie nodded – Alex felt the movement on her chest. "Cullen was caught…selling NCPD files onto the dark web. We never found the buyer – but we were put on the case… because all the files were alien related."

Alex nodded.

"If… he is who I think he is – the other guy is Eric Finch. He used to work covert ops in vice and homicide. We did a case together a while back – didn't end well."

"Finch…" Alex repeated – making the connection almost instantly. "Atticus Finch."

"What?"

" _To Kill A Mockingbird_." Alex mused. "Never mind – I know who you're talking about. He's the guy that knocked you out."

" _Ugh_ …" Maggie grunted. " _That_ 's why I feel so shitty."

Alex nodded through the dark, and felt her hands trembling behind her. "I thought you were _gone_."

"Honestly – waking up like that – I thought the same." Maggie laughed weakly into the dark.

Alex wished she could hold her.

"What about the third guy? Did you recognize him? Or the woman?"

Alex heard footsteps approaching in the distance, and realized they didn't have much time left.

"I didn't see a woman." Maggie responded. "The guy… I… I don't know."

Alex nodded – she had enough to go on.

Five beeps. _Click_.

"Babe, cover your eyes with your hands." She instructed Maggie. She couldn't see whether Maggie complied – but figured sudden bright lights wouldn't do her concussion much good.

The door opened. The woman – Fletcher – stood in the doorway. Along with Finch, and Cullen. The third man wasn't with them.

The door closed behind them, as they entered. Now with five people in the room, it was much more crowded. Alex felt disoriented already – Maggie's warm body grounding her as much as possible.

"Agent Danvers – I hope the reunion was pleasant?"

"She's hurt, and I can't help her with these handcuffs on." Alex responded. "I have told your enforcer already – if you want my help, you need to let me help her first."

"She'll survive. She's tough enough." The woman said. "From the stories I've heard, she's a little _too_ tough for her own good."

A hard _impact_ , and a painful grunt from Maggie below her. In the dark, she couldn't see who was responsible.

"She can't give you information if you bash her brains inside out. You're _idiots_ if you don't understand that." Alex snapped – attempting a different tactic. "And if she's brain-dead, you'll come after me next? Beat me to a pulp with a tire iron and then expect me to give you handwritten notes?!"

Finch – next to her – laughed. "You underestimate us, Agent."

"I can assure you, I don't."

"Have you considered our proposal?" The woman asked.

Alex sighed. "Not yet."

A hiss through teeth behind her.

" _Wrong answer_."

Roughly – she felt Maggie being pulled away from her. She yelled out. "No! No, _please_ , _no_!"

A scuffle in front of her – so close that Alex occasionally felt various bodies bumping into her – _why the fuck was she stuck to this fucking pole…_

" _Maggie_!" She yelled – hoping that her fiancée would respond.

Heavy breathing ensued, by at least two people.

"Your defense is still _shit_ , Sawyer. All punches and no blocks." It sounded like Finch.

Maggie's weak voice responded. "At least I _fight_ – I'm not a coward that can only punch in the _dark_ , Finch."

Finch growled, and seemed to lunge – but the woman stopped him. " _Enough_ , Atticus."

Maggie laughed breathily. "Oh – Eric - you didn't tell me you had a girlfriend? And you even have cute nicknames?"

" _Sawyer_." The woman responded. "Your offer is still on the table too."

"I haven't forgotten." Maggie responded. "Kind of hard to think around here when you get beat up every other second."

"Funny." Fletcher deadpanned. "Your time is up. I need an answer from both of you – _now_."

"Or else?" Maggie huffed.

The woman laughed. "Even when you're down, you still want to pick a fight."

"How did you convince Cullen and Finch to do your bidding?!" Maggie shot back. "What did you give them – money? The promise that they got to beat up innocent aliens after hours?"

"Watch your _fucking_ tone." Cullen's voice hissed from beside her. A series of movements, and Alex heard a choking sound. Maggie – gasping for breath.

"Easy, _easy_." Alex realized the time for stalling was over. "I accept, okay?! I'll help you. If it helps keeping National City safe – I'll do it."

" _Alex_ …" The choked sound of her name made her wince.

"Maggie – stop. Stop fighting. Please." Alex willed her fiancée to stay safe, and quit antagonizing them. "Take me wherever you want to get information, but leave _her_ alone. I'll tell you wat you need to know."

"You really think you're smarter than her?" Finch taunted.

"The NCPD doesn't have the intel the DEO has." Alex said. "She won't give you anything I can't tell you. She's useless to you."

"Not _useless_ …" Cullen responded. "She makes for an excellent punching bag."

Whatever baggage Maggie had with the two men – it was obvious they resented her.

"Take it out on me. I'm the one she loves."

Finch and Cullen laughed simultaneously. She felt movement to her right, and a hand touching hers behind her back. Within seconds, the cuffs loosened, and she slipped both hands out.

She considered attacking the man closest to her, but in the complete darkness it would be a pointless fight. In a familiar environment, maybe, but here - she had no idea what she was doing.

"Alex… Alex, _no_ … Where are you taking her?!" She heard Maggie's emotional voice as she felt herself being pulled towards the door by her sore – and slightly numb - arms.

"Your response, Detective Sawyer?" Fletcher asked her, as the man holding Alex – she figured it was Cullen – waited to punch in the code.

" _No_." Maggie hissed through her teeth. " _Fuck_ you. No!"

Fletcher hummed – and Cullen entered the code, shoving the door open.

For a second, Alex managed to look back into the room, willing herself to keep her eyes open.

Maggie was being held by Finch – but it looked more like he was supporting her. The left side of her face was completely caked in dried blood – probably from laying unconscious on her side. Her eyes were wide and full of terror – but when they met Alex's own, the Agent gave Maggie a small smile. "Don't worry."

After that, the door slammed shut. Cullen walked with her through the corridor.

This was her opportunity.

_She wouldn't let it drop again._

As soon as they were far enough away from the door, she made her move.

Their mistake was not restraining her.

She snapped free from his hold, and jabbed the palm of her hand into his throat. When he doubled over to nurse it, she hit him in the ear, and elbowed him in the neck. He dropped to the ground, wheezing for breath.

One last brutal kick to the face – _for Maggie_. He clutched his nose, blood gushing out through the mask, and whimpered pathetically.

She crouched down, and pulled off his mask. "What's the use for the mask, huh?! I saw your face in the alley."

The man didn't respond. She felt a hardness to the mask, and glanced down, analyzing it. The mask had a built-in night vision device. High-tech, and expertly made.

She threw it aside carelessly, and grabbed him by the hem of the shirt.

She pulled him up, hissing dangerously. "If you don't tell me what's going on within the next five seconds, I'm snapping your neck like a _fucking_ toothpick."

Cullen grinned – baring teeth stained with blood. He then spat at her.

She felt herself being sprayed with his blood, and moved to wipe it off. Then, she tried again. "What's the code for the door?"

No response. She grabbed his head, and shoved it against the floor forcefully, before pulling him back up. "What. Is the code. For the door."

He laughed. "Alien-loving _bitch_. You don't know what's coming. You won't stop us."

Alex realized the man was useless. She tilted his head up once more, and pushed it back against the ground. One – two – three times. Until the man went limp underneath her. She didn't care whether he lived or died, at that point.

_Poetic justice for pretending to be dead in the first place._

There was still a third man around, and she didn't know the code to the door. For a second, she stared at the body below her – and considered her options.

Maggie was in no shape to fight, but if Alex took Finch – maybe the Detective could surprise the woman and they could overpower the two. Finding the right corridors back to the stairs was a problem for later.

She walked back to the door where Maggie was being held, adrenalin coursing through her veins.

As she approached, she heard voices from inside. She stopped next to the door, and listened in.

"… _knew what the consequences were._ " Fletcher.

" _I had nothing to do with it. You're wrong_." Maggie.

" _Stop lying. I know what I saw."_ Finch.

" _You didn't see anything because I didn't_ do _anything._ "

Alex frowned at Maggie's rushed tone.

She heard her fiancée continue. " _Might as well just kill me, Eric._ "

" _Oh, I plan to. But your girlfriend is going to give us everything she knows first._ "

Maggie laughed. " _If you think she's going to give you anything, you're even more stupid than you look. She's already on her way._ "

Alex couldn't help but smirk.

Fletcher laughed. " _Why do you think I sent Cullen out with her?_ "

Alex's smile dropped instantly.

" _You know what I think, Detective? I think you peg me for a fool._ "

Scuffle. Punches – impacts. Alex pressed her back against the wall next to the door, and waited for it to open. She was powerless to stop the fight inside, but she still had the element of surprise…

… even though Fletcher had apparently calculated it somehow.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. _Click_.

The door opened.

Alex waited one second – and was glad she did when she saw that Maggie was the first one being shoved forward into the hallway – her eyes clenched shut and tears rushing down her bloody face from the brightness.

As soon as she saw the torso of the man peeking out of the doorway, she lunged.

Grabbing the man by the throat and headbutting him. He let go of Maggie – out of the corners of her eyes, she saw her stumble away into the corridor.

Alex was one on one with Finch now, and she was out for blood. Rage filled her upon remembering the dull _thud_ that had resounded when he'd struck Maggie down in the alley.

"I'm gonna _fucking_ kill you!" She screamed, punching and elbowing him any way she could. He put up a fight, dodging and blocking whenever he could, but taking some hits along the way. And he fought back too. She saw red, and barely felt the few hits that came her way.

She managed to grab him by the throat and shove him against the wall, glaring at him. But right as she opened her mouth – she felt something jab in her back.

Electricity coursed through her body, freezing her in place.

_Fuck._

She'd been tased before during training. And a few times in the field – with metahumans or aliens that conducted electricity.

It _fucking_ sucked.

And she recognized immediately that the taser jammed in her back wasn't police-grade. It was far stronger.

She collapsed, feeling her entire body tense up. She couldn't move, and was forced to stare at the man's shoes in front of her.

"Nice try." Finch sneered, taking extra care to step on her hand as he moved away from her.

"Where did Sawyer go?!" She heard Fletcher say behind her. "Go – find her, _now_! And call Price!"

Finch took off sprinting.

The clacking of heels reverberated through her skull, until finally – a set of woman's shoes came into view.

"That's on me, Agent." The woman chuckled weakly. "I should have known better. Sorry it had to come to this."

Alex saw her crouch down next to her, and finally got to see the face of the mysterious woman. Short, brown hair. Elegant, red lipstick. A smirk of control on her face.

She didn't recognize the woman – but that only scared her more. If she'd been on a DEO list somewhere, at least she knew what she was up against.

The Agent was used to constantly analyzing a situation and making judgement calls. But this time, she had no idea what could happen next.

_She wished Kara was there._

She felt the woman put a lock of hair back behind her ear – a gesture that, in any other context, would have seemed motherly and concerned.

"We're going for a ride, Agent Danvers."

Alex couldn't respond.

She felt the taser jab into the space between her shoulder blades.

The second jolt made her lose consciousness.


End file.
